Many retailers customarily offer product return services to their customers. When the retailer has a brick and mortar location, the customer typically presents the product (or portion thereof) to a representative during a visit to the retailer's location. The representative then processes the transaction while the customer is present. Often, the representative asks the customer for a receipt, payment card, and/or personal identification (e.g., driver's license, etc.). After completing the transaction, the representative takes the returned item and issues a refund or exchange. The refund is typically of the same form as the payment type, such as a cash return for a cash purchase or a credit card refund for a credit card purchase. In this scenario, the arm's length transaction enables the retailer to reimburse the customer at the time of the exchange because the retailers gain possession of the returned item. However, when the retailer has no physical location (or it is otherwise difficult for the customer to be present), such as in electronic commerce or telephone order settings, the return process often involves a significant delay before the customer receives a refund. This delay can be unfavorable for both the retailer and the customer. For example, the customer may have to wait days or weeks for the refund while the retailer may lose goodwill of the customer.